1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to wireless communications. More particularly, the present invention relates to the management and propagation of service information transmitted by wireless communication devices using short-range communications.
2. Description of Prior Art
Wireless communication devices (WCD) continue to proliferate in the marketplace due to technological improvements in both the quality of the communications and the functionality of the devices. Devices such as cellular telephones have become commonplace for both personal and business use, allowing users to transmit and receive voice, text and graphical data from a multitude of geographical locations. The communication networks utilized by WCDs span different frequencies and cover different broadcast distances, each having strengths applicable to different communication applications.
Cellular networks facilitate WCD communications over large geographic areas. GSM, a widely employed cellular network which communicates in the 900 MHZ-1.8 GHZ band in Europe and at 1.9 GHZ in the United States, provides voice communication and supports the transmission of textual data via the Short Messaging Service (SMS). SMS allows a WCD to transmit and receive text messages of up to 160 characters. It also provides data transfer to packet networks, ISDN and POTS users at 9.6 Kbps. While cellular networks like GSM are a well-established means for transmitting and receiving data, due to cost, traffic and regulation concerns, a cellular network may not be appropriate for all data applications.
Short-range wireless networks provide communication solutions that avoid some of the problems seen in cellular networks. Bluetooth™ is an example of a short-range wireless technology quickly gaining acceptance in the marketplace. A Bluetooth™ enabled WCD transmits and receives data at a rate of 720 Kbps within a range of 10 meters, and may transmit up to 100 meters with additional power boosting. A user does not have to actively instigate a network. Bluetooth™ instead has the ability to automatically establish an ad-hoc network constituted by a collection of wireless devices that are physically close enough to exchange information. This network group is called a “piconet”. Any device may promote itself to the master of the piconet, allowing it to control data exchanges with up to seven “active” slaves and 255 “parked” slaves via their particular Parked Member Address (PM_ADDR). The master may also address any device in transmission range by using its Bluetooth™ Device Address (BD_ADDR), even if it is not a member of the previously indicated 255 devices. Active slaves exchange data based on the clock timing of the master. Parked slaves monitor a beacon signal in order to stay synchronized with the master.
The multitude of communication networks utilized by WCDs have created new opportunities for businesses to contact potential customers. Advertisers desire to use audio, text and graphical messages to promote goods and services directly to a consumer through a WCD. In order to control the rampant proliferation of advertising, often called “spamming” when referring to unsolicited email messages, many governments have implemented strict controls over how advertisers and information providers may use global cellular networks like GSM. For example, strict new laws are being passed in Korea where 5% of the 220 million cellular text messages sent daily are unsolicited advertisements. Many laws require opt-in for mobile marketing to prevent spam from getting to the consumer. For marketers, getting opt-in acceptance is a real problem. However, these regulatory problems currently do not exist for short-range networks.
Some services currently exist for marketers who desire to communicate information over short-range networks. The Nokia Local Marketing Solution is an information providing architecture for distributing data via short-range networks. A user who walks within transmission range of a fixed access point transmitting via short-range communications (e.g., Bluetooth™) has information automatically downloaded to a memory buffer in their WCD. The user must then open a “shortcut” browser to select from various temporarily stored informational “bookmarks”. The selected bookmark is then permanently saved in the WCD, and in some cases, additional data relevant to the saved bookmark may then be retrieved via a cellular network. Unselected bookmarks are automatically deleted from the memory buffer when space is required to download new content.
ijack™ is a similar service provided by TeliaSonera Finland Oyj that provides graphical information to a user in effective range of a service point. The service point includes a Bluetooth™ broadcast device which may be totally wireless in that the service point may also be programmed (e.g., have broadcast content loaded) wirelessly using a GPRS cellular link to a business. The service point can then simultaneously broadcast information over a piconet containing up to seven Bluetooth™ enabled WCDs that have come within effective range of the service point. The user requires an iJack™ browser to view the information. After the browser is loaded, information is automatically downloaded to a WCD whenever the user comes into range of a service point. To save the data, the user must open the browser, find the information and manually trigger a download to the WCD.
While advertising over a short-range network may provide an innovative way for a business to reach a target consumer, communicating via this medium is not without its limitations. An ad-hoc network, (e.g., a piconet) is automatically, but not instantaneously, established. A WCD acting as a master must first inquire as to other devices in effective range in order to discover the target devices. Once potential network members are identified, the WCD must then negotiate with the devices to establish the connection (e.g., hop pattern, offset, etc.) and form the wireless network (e.g., distributing Active Member Addresses (AMA) and/or Parked Member Addresses (PMA)). The time to complete these tasks may be lengthened by electronic environmental noise, a plethora of wireless devices in transmit range, the modes or characteristics of the various wireless devices including content authorization requirements, etc. These limitations do not bode well in a commercial situation, where time is short because a potential customer may only spend moments in transmission range of an access point. In essence, there may not be enough time to distribute the information desired by potential customers coming within the transmission range of a fixed access point due to the time required to establish a connection and deliver the data, defeating the purpose of having an access point.
Solutions to the aforementioned problem are not readily apparent in the art. Technology exists to pass information from an origin to one device and then on to other devices, for example, to carry information via a mobile device from one source to a gateway or network for transmission to a desired destination. While these applications may propagate information from one device to another, the power required for sustained continuous distribution would quickly deplete the battery of a WCD. In a Bluetooth™ network, a group of devices doing continuous inquiries would experience a large amount of wireless traffic to the large number of active units trying to pass information simultaneously. This behavior would result in conflicts causing failed connections, and the inefficient draining of available resources. The device would have to include some sort of intelligence to allow it to switch modes based on it's surroundings, condition, etc. The prior art includes applications which allow a mobile WCD to change behavior depending on sensed conditions. However, none of these applications deal specifically with the propagation of service information in an efficient manner.
What is needed is a method and apparatus for propagating wireless information in a resource efficient manner that takes into consideration the devices within transmission distance, the characteristics of the device, and the information to be distributed so that the transmission may take place in an efficient manner.